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Pest Types
All information in this section of our website is taken from the Pest Fact Sheets which are published on the Harrow County Council website. We would like to thank the Harrow County Council Web Team for their kind permission allowing us to reproduce these fact sheets.
All information in this section of our website is taken from the Pest Fact Sheets which are published on the Harrow County Council website. We would like to thank the Harrow County Council Web Team for their kind permission allowing us to reproduce these fact sheets.
Stored Product Moths
There are several species of moths which can infest stored food in this country. They are all of similar habits, with their preferred food varying slightly. The most common ones reported to Community Safety Services (Environmental Health) are the warehouse moth (Ephestia elutella) and the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella).
The adult warehouse moth is 14 to 16 mm long, and has grey or buff coloured wings with variable banded patterns. The larvae grow to 12 mm long, with a creamy white segmented body and a dark brown head capsule. Each segment has dark spots on it. The adult Indian meal moth is similar in size and very distinctive, with the top third of the wings being a pale colour, and the remainder being reddish-brown. The larvae look similar to the warehouse moth but are a yellowish colour and do not have the spots on the segments.
None of the stored product moths carry infection, but they are a nuisance and can spoil large quantities of food.
The adult warehouse moth is 14 to 16 mm long, and has grey or buff coloured wings with variable banded patterns. The larvae grow to 12 mm long, with a creamy white segmented body and a dark brown head capsule. Each segment has dark spots on it. The adult Indian meal moth is similar in size and very distinctive, with the top third of the wings being a pale colour, and the remainder being reddish-brown. The larvae look similar to the warehouse moth but are a yellowish colour and do not have the spots on the segments.
None of the stored product moths carry infection, but they are a nuisance and can spoil large quantities of food.
What they eat
Stored product moths commonly infest dry foods like cereals, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Chocolate can also be attacked. They are very clever at entering packages which are not tightly closed and can bore through cellophane, tin foil and cardboard to reach preferred foods. The eggs are laid in and around the food ready for the larvae to hatch. Foodstuffs infested by moths are characterised by webbing and dust (called frass) in and around it, as well as the presence of the larvae themselves. The adults are not often seen in or around the food, more often being found flying around the room. Larvae tend to wander widely looking for places to pupate, and may be seen on ceilings and high wall areas in the room containing the infestation. The length of life cycle varies with the species of moth, but as a guide, at room temperature, the Indian meal moth life cycle takes a minimum 35 days at optimum temperature (25ºC).
Control The first thing to do is empty food cupboards, trace the infested food, and dispose of all the infested food you can find. Search for areas where food might have spilled and collected without people knowing, such as underneath cupboards or behind kitchen plinths. Make sure that you take disposal items right out of the house and not just to the inside bin. Moths can penetrate sealed packets and tin foil, so the fact that a packet is unopened is not a guarantee that it is not infested. They may also be found in screw topped jars if these have not been properly closed. The kind of foodstuffs which might be attacked are: cereal products nuts and spices biscuits seeds dog biscuits and dry pet food dried vegetables chocolate.
Items you are not sure about are best disposed of or sealed in strong plastic containers or screw-topped jars (tightly closed!) and left for a few months. If there is no activity within about four months, it is probably not infested. This ensures that any new food that you buy is not re-infested by accident.
When the cupboards are emptied, thoroughly clean down all the surfaces, paying particular attention to corners and crevices. Then spray the surfaces with an insecticide for use with crawling insects, again, making sure that you reach the corners. Try to get an insecticide with a residual effect, and make sure that it is approved for use in food rooms (the can details should state this). After the spray has dried, and has been left for any period stated on the can, you can put food back into the cupboard. Try to store newly bought items in sealed containers so that they cannot be attacked by any larvae missed by the insecticide. Make sure that you rotate stocks to use up old items first and dispose of anything past its best before date. You might find that you need to go through the whole process several times.
If you are unable to deal with a common pest problem satisfactorily, then contact Commercial Pest Control London. Our rates are competitive and we will get the job done fast and efficiently. For a professional service call Commercial Pest Control London today on freephone 0800 043 2056
Stored product moths commonly infest dry foods like cereals, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Chocolate can also be attacked. They are very clever at entering packages which are not tightly closed and can bore through cellophane, tin foil and cardboard to reach preferred foods. The eggs are laid in and around the food ready for the larvae to hatch. Foodstuffs infested by moths are characterised by webbing and dust (called frass) in and around it, as well as the presence of the larvae themselves. The adults are not often seen in or around the food, more often being found flying around the room. Larvae tend to wander widely looking for places to pupate, and may be seen on ceilings and high wall areas in the room containing the infestation. The length of life cycle varies with the species of moth, but as a guide, at room temperature, the Indian meal moth life cycle takes a minimum 35 days at optimum temperature (25ºC).
Control The first thing to do is empty food cupboards, trace the infested food, and dispose of all the infested food you can find. Search for areas where food might have spilled and collected without people knowing, such as underneath cupboards or behind kitchen plinths. Make sure that you take disposal items right out of the house and not just to the inside bin. Moths can penetrate sealed packets and tin foil, so the fact that a packet is unopened is not a guarantee that it is not infested. They may also be found in screw topped jars if these have not been properly closed. The kind of foodstuffs which might be attacked are: cereal products nuts and spices biscuits seeds dog biscuits and dry pet food dried vegetables chocolate.
Items you are not sure about are best disposed of or sealed in strong plastic containers or screw-topped jars (tightly closed!) and left for a few months. If there is no activity within about four months, it is probably not infested. This ensures that any new food that you buy is not re-infested by accident.
When the cupboards are emptied, thoroughly clean down all the surfaces, paying particular attention to corners and crevices. Then spray the surfaces with an insecticide for use with crawling insects, again, making sure that you reach the corners. Try to get an insecticide with a residual effect, and make sure that it is approved for use in food rooms (the can details should state this). After the spray has dried, and has been left for any period stated on the can, you can put food back into the cupboard. Try to store newly bought items in sealed containers so that they cannot be attacked by any larvae missed by the insecticide. Make sure that you rotate stocks to use up old items first and dispose of anything past its best before date. You might find that you need to go through the whole process several times.
If you are unable to deal with a common pest problem satisfactorily, then contact Commercial Pest Control London. Our rates are competitive and we will get the job done fast and efficiently. For a professional service call Commercial Pest Control London today on freephone 0800 043 2056
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